MaalfridBrath, CEO of ManpowerGroup, expresses the importance of experience within the work field of foreign companies. Globalization in the marked of laborwill make a more diverse Norway and having the experience of working abroad can benefit you in many ways. Not only will you have worked within another culture than your own, learned the language and taken initiative outside your regular course of study, but it also contributes to strengthen your CV. Abroad experience indicates your willingness to face new challenges and will give you thesought-after international experience.

The CEO of the media giantSchibsted, Rolf Erik Ryssdal, is one of the many senior leaders who has gained practical experience in a company abroad during his time of studies. He strongly recommends students to do the same. Ryssdalsays to NA24 that it is educational, exciting and you come back with a new perspective on a handful of things. His stay abroad was implemented by AIESEC, world’s largest student-driven organization, which focuses on activating leadership qualities in youth through practical experience in challenging environments.

Your program will usually beconducted between the semesters or in the summer. The length will vary according to which program you choose. If you choose entrepreneurship, it will vary from 6 weeks to 3 months. This opportunity is open for everyone between 18-30 years of age. In other words, you can take this opportunity regardless if you have recently graduated and finished your studies or if you have just taken a gap-year. Several CEOs in Norway have worked abroad, having AIESEC provide them the opportunity to do so. Now, also you have the chance to stand out and be one of them!

Written By: Erika L. Santos

Each of us has a comfort zone, a zone of behavior that is familiar to us and where we feel comfortable and safe. But to achieve your goals and realize your potential, you must be willing to be uncomfortable – to do things that push your limit or afraid to do. That’s how you develop your potential!

To work abroad you need determination to go out of your comfort zone to get a valuable work, life and cultural experience. You will expose yourself to new culture, language, and thinking. You will have to make new friends, new colleagues and new environment. Well, all this might be exciting or a little scary, but it is another chance to stretch you. Confront your fears and be willing to expand your comfort zone. The courage muscle can be developed just like any other muscle – with exercise. And when you do an activity outside your comfort zone a few times, you know what happens? That same activity becomes part of your comfort zone!

There is another bonus when you’re willing to expand your comfort zone. When you push through fear and take action in some areas of your life, you’ll develop confidence in other areas as well. It is true, as you become more comfortable with meeting new people and interacting with different cultures, you will also became a better salesman, a better businessman, a better listener… the list goes on and on. You can try to dance around it all you want. But you will not develop your abilities to the fullest unless you are willing to be uncomfortable. Life does not reward those who refuse to expose themselves to difficulties and challenges.

The best place to put you in this challenging environment and grow as a person and professionally is AIESEC. Being part of our Global Talent opportunities abroad and working in different Multinational and Startup companies after your graduate is the best way to challenge yourself with an intense experience and start or activate your professional life with valuable carrier experience. You will discover a new way of life and make friends that you will have for a lifetime. AIESEC offices in Norway and in the country that you go to will help you in every step of the way, will and follow your development.

It is true that doing an internship in another country is of enormous value, interning abroad and living in another culture is also something that is very attractive to employers seeking to hire new people. You proved that you are willing to learn and do what it takes to educate yourself and improve your skill set. That increases your marketability and lets you stand out from the crowd.

AIESEC internship abroadwill lead to personal life enrichment and fulfillment that will ultimately stay with you for the rest of your life. You will discover a new way of life and make friends that you will have for a lifetime.

It is important that you put yourself in a position to win, and that means taking action despite fear. Confront your comfortzone and you’re on the way to developing your potential and leading the exciting, fulfilling life you deserve. Working abroad is a decision you’ll never regret!

Are you looking for a way to add some experience to your CV? Besides just adding do you want develop yourself professionally and acquire work skills in very diverse and challenging environment? Volunteering abroad in community development projects through AIESEC in a country you choose will give you the ample opportunity to build up your professional skills. Here are six ways AIESEC Global Volunteer opportunities gives you a work experience.

1- You will expand your personal and professional network

Volunteering abroad will give you friends for life which you can always ask them for help and support. You will meet different people in your journey and at the NGO or school you are working. This is a way to build up your professional network. If you perform well in your tasks when you work as a volunteer your supervisor, at a place you worked might even serve as reference to you when you apply for a job.

2- Diverse new working environment

One of the best things you can get going abroad and volunteering is exposing yourself to new working environment which most of the time is far different from the surrounding you are used to. Facing the challenges that comes from this situation, and finding a solution, or adapting yourself to the new environment will give you another worth experience. This will be definitely an asset to your carrier development and gives you an upper hand when you apply for any job opportunity. Mind the fact that you will have a better CV than any of your peer fresh recent graduates who do not have any volunteer experience.

3- New culture and language

Our volunteer opportunities give you access to new a culture considering that you will go to a different country with different ways of doing the same things you do, and distinct things as well. You will learn new language which is always an addition to your skills, and makes you more competitive in the job market.

4- Leadership

AIESEC Volunteering opportunities are always designed to develop leaders that can impact themselves and everyone around them. Well you may ask <<how do they develop leaders in their platform and what makes them so unique?>>

First in AIESEC youth leadership is the core of our organization. We have a leadership development model consisting of three parts which helps us to develop leaders. The number one is the Leadership Qualities we want to see our customers get after going on an exchange with us. The second one is The Inner & Outer Journey. This is a personal journey that our customers go through in an AIESEC exchange in order to develop the 4 Leadership Qualities. The third part of this Leadership Model is called Standards & Satisfaction. It describes the daily activities a team of AIESECers need to execute in order to facilitate a complete experience for our Volunteering exchange participant. At the end of your volunteering experience you will be a person who is self aware, someone who can empower others, is solution oriented and, a world citizen. Having these qualities when you apply for any job will shows the managers that you are fit to their company or organization.

5- You will Acquire Huge range of Skills

You will develop skills such as the ability to work in a team, problem solving and adaptability, communicating with clients and stakeholders, ability to plan and prioritize work, sales skills, time management, report writing, and improve interpersonal skills are some of the benefits you get from Volunteering abroad.

6- Companies and organization care about your volunteer experience

A recent LinkedIn survey found that 41% of hiring managers consider volunteer experience equally valuable as paid work. LinkedIn also found that 89% of professionals surveyed had volunteer experience. After LinkedIn collected this data, they decided to include a place to put a volunteer experience for their users, because commitment and dedication of doing a volunteer work will definitely give you skills you need for paid work as well.

Just place yourself in the shoes of an employer and picture this situation for a minute. Two job candidates with the same backgrounds. However, one of the candidates has a significant volunteer experience – an experience that allowed the student to harvest relevant skills to the job they are applying. On the other hand, the other candidate has just graduated with no volunteer experience, which one would you choose?